Along the trek up the rocky cliffside, Shape reminiscences once more on Anya's remarkable resolve the last time they went here. The rock wall is damp, a thin barrier to Ophelia's world. And they later then reach the mouth of the cave, standing at the edge of the water-logged cenote.
The trek is certainly more relaxed now that there's no looming threat of perishing for half the party; Anya spends most of the time in his relatively tall form to provide solidarity in having to walk, but occasionally flies around as a small fairy to speed up small detours and point at things. The sun is out as they enter the cave, illuminating all the way past the edge of the water.
Shortly after Anya leaves her magical calling card in the water, the purple shade in the depths swirls and moves up to the surface. She first gives a small peek out of the water, but surfaces in a generous smile once she sees that the fairy is not alone.
"Hi! I see you're alive and not miserable!"
Shape is struck with a desire to hug Ophelia. But, out of practicality, she instead smiles and snatches the plastic bag of salt water taffies from Anya's hands.
"You're a huge part of the reason that's the case, too! I got you a gift to show my appreciation for you, but just know I'm planning to get you other stuff in the near future too. It's the least I can do."
She sits down and places the bag in front of her, at the lip of the water.
"These candies are kind of cool. They come in a lot of different flavors, and this bag has like thirty of them. Maybe you won't recognize some of them? Oh, right, and they're literally made with some salt water. I thought that'd be cute."
Ophelia drifts to the edge of the pool, putting her face all the way up to the bag. "Oh! How kind of you! They're very pretty. Like the crystals I cultivate, but tastier." She tilts her head, observing the variety of colors. "Glad I could help. Anya here seems to... Have taken a liking to you, and it'd be a shame to break her heart just as swiftly."
Anya flushes a little, turning her head aside.
Shape pats Anya's head, and she laughs. "Yeah, the fairy is so adorable that even Yarrow didn't want to break his heart. I have a gift for her as well. But yeah, thank you. And I think I'm overthinking, but be careful with the plastic bag the taffies are inside I guess; you'll probably want to keep that away from any little aquatic plants you might have in there with you. Are there other magical beings like you in there, actually?"
She would hope Ophelia isn't terribly lonely, in retrospect.
There's a bit of a silence.
"This is my pool. It is very clear, and largely free of biological matter. I can't actually say how I got here, but I am rather sure the magic of these crystals gave me life. Yes, I am alone here and I generally do not mind that! But the people of the forest are quite nice and my crystals are always in demand. Like with you. And then..."
Her thoughts drift away briefly, before she snaps back with a rather loving voice. "And then there's Zada... My dear Starbringer... They're my partner. The quiet is just a little more empty when I am waiting for them."
"That's fair. Well, life is full of many mysteries, I guess. I'm so bad at being alone myself. Anya's already been so amazing for me with that."
Ophelia the romantic? Maybe there's a double date in the waiting. Shape dips a finger in the pool and trails it in the path of a figure eight.
"Oh, maybe I could meet them sometime. They probably got a heart of gold if they're with you. I could use more friends, what can I say? Where are they right now, you think?"
She wraps her fairy to her side.
The fairy makes a soft, delicate noise when pulled in, and wiggles delightedly before pressing her face against the shapeshifter.
"Zada's quite nice! And very cool! You definitely should meet them. It's been very cozy with you, can't wait for more of that. You're so cozy. I like you."
Carefully, Ophelia unpacks one of the salt-water taffies. She gives it a curious look, holding it most gingerly to avoid it melting too much at her moist touch. And then, she eats it.
"Ah! Chewy. I like them, thank you. Yes, Zada is such a sweetheart. They live a distance away and have things to attend to unfortunately. Alas, such are the woes of living in a cave and dating someone who doesn't."
She carefully tucks the wrappers and torn off plastic underneath a rock beside the lake, where Shape can now notice a small collection of other wrappers and packaging safely stored aside.
It's probably for the best that the plastic stay here than get put in the forest, at least.
"Yeah, they're really bad about getting stuck in your teeth if you're not underwater, probably. Well, anyway, you're such a cozy cutie yourself, Anya. And, Ophelia, maybe next time Zada is in the area could you let them know about me? You could send them over, they could find my tent. We'll figure out something we could all do, maybe."
They'll get a George Overseer grill and play pin the tail on the donkey. Not really. She stands up and supports her girlfriend up too, and she dusts the gravel off her bottom.
"I hope Yarrow likes the thing I got her."
"Shame is, I've never gotten to meet Yarrow. We're both somewhat tied to our home. Yarrow could probably make it here, but she sure as hell won't try. From what I hear though? If you owe her your life? Good luck. You'll need it- Ah."
A thought crosses Ophelia's mind and she quickly dives under to fetch something, returning to lay a gentle green crystal shard down in front of Shape.
"I hear she likes these! I have no idea what she needs this particular kind for but it could be a little extra to charm her with, if you like. And sure, I'll let Zada know! Their time here is precious though and I have some privileges on it, so no promises."
"Thanks. I agree it is kind of a shame, maybe you two would have a lot to chat about since you're both kind of beings of watery places, I don't know."
She lifts the crystal and inspects it in her palm, rolling it for a full rotation. Her enchanted blood under her skin reads it as a plant growth catalyst. She stows it with Yarrow's gift in the same pocket.
"Charm her I will. And don't worry it if it doesn't fall through, I know what that kind of thing is like. I think Anya and I need to go now, speaking of time, before it gets too dark on the way back to my tent. But, yeah, thank you again for saving my life, glad you liked the gift. I'll be back another time."
She rustles through her boyfriend's pink tufts of hair, and she starts outside.
"Maybe we should look into, like, fancy long distance communication things for her. I'm sure we can do better than like a smokestack or a cellphone."
The fairy waves Ophelia goodbye, and follows after his newfound lover. The weather outside is still quite lovely, and the view from up here is quite striking. Now that they're not in a rush, she urges them to stay just a moment. She takes Shape's hand.
"This place is large! Isn't it neat? It's so easy to lose the scale of it when you're inside. Yarrow, for example, hasn't seen this. She's only heard stories of the land past the trees."
She squeezes Anya's palm. The air smells pristine, free of manufactured odors.
"Yeah. It's stunning. I never really thought to go out camping in the wilderness just for the sake of it, for some reason. I guess because, I dunno, the wall outlets and the Wi-Fi at my residential home. Those are kind of like magic too. Do you even know about the internet?"
She chuckles.
"Poor Yarrow. I guess you and I are fortunate as magical creatures even just for our autonomy."
Yarrow, meanwhile, can feel and sense the entire expanse of the swamp's depths through her connection with it, something she's alone in. Anya has never considered this.
"I have not! What's the internet? Sounds like it's important. And a wife eye... Hm. Technology is weird. I don't trust it."
She's clearly joking, judging by his bright demeanor. Finally, Shape is dragged along down the mountain again. It's an easier trek on the way down, and soon they enter the shade of trees again.
--------------------
"No offense, but I really don't like swamps. There's some worse ones out there, though, like hot and humid ones."
Shape should trade her trusty pike for a machete for when she's going to be treading through cattails and vines and tall grass. Then again, she left the spear in the car, so really she probably isn't even eager to be lugging around weapons at all in Yarrow's domain. She rests on an oblong rock.
"What's the procedure, again? Do I just say hi?"
More soon.